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Tubeless Setup, Cleat Trouble, Wide Tires - Pinkbike

Question: Pinkbike user Nocturnal7x asked this question in the Mechanics' Lounge forum: I have Diamondback tubeless rims and Schwalbe's Hans Dampf tires, and I'm having trouble setting them up tubeless. I got one side of the tire off the rim with immense difficulty to take the tube out, and while I can get the tire back on, I can't get it into a position where the bead should seat and seal up. How does this work? Every video I've watched shows it effortlessly popping back on compared to the nonsense that I'm going through.

I've had plenty of good ' 'tubeless tantrums' when a stubborn tire refuses to seat and seal up, and the sight of sealant all over the place and tired arms from working a floor pump as fast as possible isn't an uncommon one for many riders. There are a few tricks that can make this sometimes frustrating job a bit easier, though, with there being two important things to remember: the tighter the tire fits on the rim, the easier it'll be to seat, and the quicker you can get air into the tire, the quicker it'll seat.

The shape of the rim bed and its actual diameter - which can vary by a few millimeters - are major factors in how difficult or easy a tubeless job is. If a tire needs to fit a bit tighter on a rim, I'll often use Gorilla Tape (you can find it at most hardware stores) as tubeless rim tape, and I might even do two or three complete wraps around the rim to artificially create a tighter fit between it and the tire. Too much tape and you'll have trouble getting the tire on or off, however. The other trick is to use a reservoir pump that stores and releases a charge of air all at once, along with a tubeless valve stem that has a removable core. Taking the core out when initially seating the tire allows the air to rush into it much quicker than if it had to pass through the valve first.

— Mike Levy

An extra wrap of Gorilla Tape can create the tighter fit needed to make tubeless conversions easier.

Trouble Unclipping

Question: Pinkbike user @skierdude52689 asked this question in the Bikes, Parts & Gear forum:Got a new pair of 5.10 Hellcat Pros, my old ones were beat. Tried to ride today, didn't even make it to the lift before I couldn't clip out, fell next to my Jeep! Not to mention clipping in was incredibly difficult.

I tried switching between 15/20 degree release settings and that didn't help. I had to twist my foot SO much I was twisting the cleat itself. Anybody else have issues with these shoes? I'm thinking the cleat mounting position is too recessed into the sole, making the pedal pins rest on the shoe too much. So during clip out the pedal pins are engaged into the sole of the shoe.

Tipping over because you can't unclip is the worst – it's like that bad dream where everything's in slow motion, and then all of a sudden you're tangled up on the ground, bike still attached. Your diagnosis is correct – the Hellcat's do have a fairly recessed cleat mounting positions, which is why you weren't able to unclip. Luckily, it's an easy problem to fix by installing a shim or two underneath your cleats. Most Crankbrothers pedals come with two plastic shims, so you might already have the parts on hand. Crankbrothers also makes a stainless shim, which they call a “shoe shield” – you might need to use that and a plastic shim to lift the cleat as much as you need. You can also play with the height of the pedal pins – screwing them in a little further will help give you more clearance, and make it easier to clip in and out.

Once you have everything set, sit on your bike next to a wall and make sure that you're able to smoothly clip in and out. That way you'll have something to brace yourself against rather than risk tipping over again.

— Mike Kazimer

This shoe and pedal combo should work, but may require fine tuning with cleat shims.

Magic Mary 2.6", plus tire or big DH tire?

Question: Pinkbike user @Luneec asked this question in the 27.5/650b: Has anyone had any experiences with the new Magic Mary in 27.5 x 2.6? Is it a plus version of the Mary or is it real DH rubber with a big volume casing? Also, would it still fit through the arch of a Yari fork?

I just received a pair of 27.5" x 2.6" Magic Mary's for testing. The sizing is very close to a plus size tire; on 40mm wide rims the Magic Mary casing measured in at 69mm, very close to a Nobby Nic 2.8", which was 71mm wide on the same rim, although the width of the side knobs is larger. The Magic Mary does seem to sit too square and flat on the 40mm rim and might suit a narrower rim better.

The EVO / APX / TLE casing tire with an Addix Soft compound is not a full on downhill tire but is getting closer, weighing 1080 grams. The 2.6" does fit into a 27.5" Rock Shox Yari, although the clearance isn't huge if you want to install a MarshGuard type fender and get stuck into riding in the mud.